How to keep lemons fresh for longer

Lemon is one of the must-haves in the kitchen. It is great no matter for eating, flavoring or decorating. However, the thing always happens that you bought a load of brightly-colored lemons but only to find them rot and waste. How can you keep lemons fresh for longer?

Choose the perfect lemons

First things first, you need to choose the perfect lemons. There should be no bruises or moldy areas on the surface of the lemon, and when you press it, it should feel a little firm but not that rock-hard. Younger lemons could last longer if you are not eager to use them. Furthermore, a good lemon should be a little heavier for its size and its skin is thin enough.

Store lemons at room temperature

If you will use the lemons soon, you can just leave them on your countertop. Lemons on the countertop can last up to a week.

Store lemons in the fridge

Storing lemons in the fridge is the most used method to extend their shelf life. Put the lemons in the crisper drawer of the fridge, and you can expect up to three weeks. To prevent moisture loss, pop the lemons in a sealed container or zip-top bag. Beyond that, it’s also a useful way to store your lemons in a bowl filled with water in your fridge. Lemons can replenish moisture directly from the water.

Store lemon slices, juice and zest

Sometimes you only used half of a lemon, what about the other half? Like the whole lemon, you can also pop it in a sealed container, or cover it with food wrap and then store it in the fridge. This method is applied to lemon slices as well and they should be good to eat within 3-4 days.

Another way to store lemons is to make them fresh lemon juice. Keep it in the fridge for cooking or baking. If you like, you can also pop the juice into ice cube trays, and then store the ice cubes in an air-tight container.

Since lemons are so versatile for cooking and baking, why not make the most of them? After each use, don’t throw out the rind. Just zest the fresh or frozen lemon rind and pop it in a sealed container in the fridge, and next time you’ll be able to add some zip to your recipe!